Finding Green Destiny
by lightbird
Summary: [AU] Mulan CTHD Xover sort of. This is the story about Shang’s and Mulan’s quest for the Green Destiny sword that eventually came to belong to the warrior Li Mu Bai in CTHD. [NOT BEING CONTINUED]
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Everything from Mulan belongs to Disney. Everything from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon belongs to Ang Lee and the other producers of the movie. Li Xiao-lang belongs to me.

Summary: Mulan/CTHD Crossover (sort of). This is the story about Shang's and Mulan's quest for the Green Destiny sword that eventually came to belong to the warrior Li Mu Bai in CTHD. For the most part the events take place in the Mulanverse so I've placed it in this category.

**oooOooo**

_Prologue_

Li Xiao-lang was the envy of many. He was a rich man from a noble family, descended from a long line of great military geniuses and honored warriors. A great and renowned warrior in his own right, he was a master of martial arts secrets that very few were privileged enough to learn. Like any other man of such privilege he was the object of jealousy of less fortunate men. His talent was resented, his famous weapon coveted. That weapon was what now drew a young boy of nine to Xiao-lang's drawing room where the master kept his most prized collection of weapons, medals and other gifts of honor received for his service to the Emperor in a closed wooden cabinet.

He stood on tiptoe and stretched his arm up as far as he could, reaching for the box of intricately carved bamboo that held the sword, his fingers just touching it and managing to nudge it slowly toward the edge of the top shelf where it lay in its honorary spot. Sweat began to drip off of him as he continued to raise himself up on his toes and reach up to inch the box further and further to the edge with the very ends of his fingertips, resting in between each try. He quickly caught the box as it finally fell from its high place and knelt down hugging it, heaving a sigh of relief that he'd managed to get it down without it crashing to the floor.

Sunlight streamed through the window and into the room, causing the blade of the incredible weapon to glitter when the young boy opened the box to look at it, revealing it in all of its splendor. He stared at it transfixed. It was a thing of beauty and he was almost afraid to touch it even though his fingers itched to grasp the hilt. Li Xiao-lang had been one of the greatest warriors to pass through the school of Wudang, where he himself would attend one day soon and he longed to be a great warrior like his father, to wield a sword such as this.

The idea of leaving home and his family made him a little nervous, but the prospect of beginning his martial arts studies and learning the secret technique of fighting that was passed down to only a very few was exciting. Wudang accepted a limited amount of students, and only those young men with unique talent and promise attended. One day he would equal his father's skill and fight with such a weapon, maybe even this very one.

"Li Mu Bai."

At the sound of the sharp tone of his father's voice the boy snapped out of his reverie and closed the box, setting it down quickly and bowing low to Li Xiao-lang, prepared to take whatever punishment was to be doled out to him for going into the warrior's weapons closet and taking the sword out.

But his father chuckled as he approached the boy.

"Couldn't resist sneaking in here to look at it, could you," he remarked good-humoredly, beckoning him to his feet and taking the box from his hands. "Come and sit down with me."

Li Mu Bai followed his father to the couch and sat beside him, watching eagerly as his father opened the box and reached in, removing the magnificent sword from where it lay. Holding it lengthwise across two open palms he extended it out toward his son so he could get a closer look.

"The Green Destiny, Li Mu Bai. There is no sword like it in existence. It was forged during the Qin Dynasty and the craftsmanship is flawless. No one has ever seen its equal. It belonged to the King of Qin who eventually became our first Emperor. A man who carries this sword is invincible."

Mu Bai raised his eyes to his father, wide with surprise. "A sword can make a man invincible, Father?"

"If he is worthy of it. Just as our ancestors who were sent to seek it out hundreds of years ago were. Go ahead and touch it."

Speechless, the young boy reached out and grasped the hilt. An involuntary gasp escaped him as he felt the power that seemed to emanate from the weapon.

"Yes, you can feel its power. This sword is magic and it is for this reason that our ancestors were sent to find it by the Emperor himself. To prevent it from getting into the wrong hands. Someone who might use it for harm instead of good."

"They were warriors like you, Father?"

"Two of the greatest warriors the Middle Kingdom has ever seen. General Li Shang and his wife, the lady general, Hua Mulan."

Stunned, he stared at his father. He always knew that there had been many warriors and officers of high rank in his family, but he had never realized before this moment that one of his ancestors was the legendary woman warrior that all Chinese children heard stories about.

His father placed the Green Destiny sword back into its resting place and stood up, striding across the room and replacing it on its shelf in the cabinet.

"Come walk with me in the garden, Li Mu Bai, and I will tell you the story of two brave and honorable warriors and their great quest to find this magic weapon."

**oooOooo**

A/N: Most of the story will be about the search for the Green Destiny sword.


	2. Beginnings

A/N: Posting of the rest of the 'beginning' of the story. As a reference point, I've placed Mulan in the transitional period between the very end of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the beginning of the Sui Dynasty in this fic. The Emperor referred to in this chapter is Wen Di, the founder of the Sui Dynasty. Also, in this universe the battle in the mountains from the movie happened, but Shan-Yu and his men never went to the Imperial City, so those events did not occur.

**oooOooo**

_Beginnings_

China would sleep safely now. Incursions from over the northern border had been pushed back and the brave warriors that had fought so valiantly had been rewarded, including the young lady that had demonstrated so much prowess in battle.

General Li Shang smiled and his heart began to leap as he thought of his wife to be. He found himself reminiscing about all the experiences he'd had with the lady general that had proven to be his equal in ability and spirit.

Mulan had taken her father's conscription notice and joined the army in his place, due to the old warrior's age and a war wound that prevented him from being able to walk well yet alone fight ever again. She had been placed under Shang's command and blended right in, given that the old general had apparently taught her martial arts and swordsmanship.

An unusual talent on the battlefield, she had fought long and hard with him for these past five years and had risen through the ranks to become his second in command and the first ever female general, though he didn't know she was a woman at that time. So skilled was she that no one knew what she was until they stood before Wen Di. He and his men were paid well for their service and each one was asked what other reward they desired. When the Emperor walked up to General Hua there was a warm glint in his eye and his exact words were, "And what does the girl want for herself in return for her service?"

Shang thought he was dreaming in that moment. Had he heard wrong? The Emperor had spoken so softly. _The girl?_

The Emperor knew who her father was, it turned out, and that he had an only daughter. His General Hua was none other than that daughter, they discovered in that moment, the knowledge leaving the entire regiment feeling confounded, particularly Shang. The general with the slight figure had become a close friend to him, a trusted comrade in battle who'd come to his aid many times when his life was in danger and a great mind that was on par with him, matching him intellectually. He'd shared many good times with General Hua, though it had always been a somewhat confusing relationship for him. He found that he was attracted to 'him'; and he had sensed, to his great surprise, that the general returned his feelings. He caught the amorous glances that the young soldier gave him at times and thought he must be imagining them. It had flustered him no end, making him question his own sexuality and twisting his perception of himself around. He knew that many of the officers liked young boys; it was a status thing. But he had never approved of it and he certainly never believed himself to be one of those men.

Still, he had always valued the friendship and never acted on any of his feelings that went beyond that. They had spent many evenings in camp playing _go_ and _weiqi_, and they had passed countless hours together discussing strategy, books and other things. Even before receiving the rank of general, Hua Mulan was the one soldier that had the guts to tell him that a decision he was making was less than wise. She was never disrespectful in her approach of the subject, she always offered an alternative and she would back down after making her point if he didn't accept her suggestion, always managing to avoid actually antagonizing him. He couldn't help but respect this young soldier right from the beginning.

Everything made sense when he found out the truth and a sense of relief flooded him so overwhelmingly that tears had almost come to his eyes. And he suddenly saw the possibilities of what kind of relationship he could actually have with the other general.

She left in a hurry after the Emperor released them, offering a quick goodbye to everyone, barely able to look at any of them now that the truth was out. When Shang finally left Chang'an after taking care of the paperwork that was required, he immediately rode to her village to speak to her. Mulan had already shed her armor and was dressed and made up as a maiden when he arrived at her home. He was as taken with her beauty as he had been with her bravery, intelligence and spirit. And she returned his feelings, just as he'd suspected all along. He knew he had found his soul mate.

Now, six months later, he was processing to her home with his own family and wedding party, on his way to greet his new bride and, after the traditional ceremony and customs, bring her home as his wife.

**oooOooo**

Wen Di had a difficult task ahead of him now, just as the Emperor Qin Shi Huang had when he was still merely the King of the State of Qin. At that time the Middle Kingdom wasn't one country ruled by one Emperor. Rather, it was divided into seven states that were constantly at war with each other, many of these battles instigated by the King of Qin himself. He had a great vision, to unite the land into one powerful, united nation that would finally be at peace after all the battles to bring about his master plan were won. His plan was successful and for a few hundred years the Middle Kingdom was a united, powerful nation. But the country fell into disunity again after the Han Dynasty ended.

Now that the northern border was well patrolled and taken care of, Wen Di, who had taken the throne only four years ago and established a new Dynasty with its capital in Chang'an, turned to the situation of their divided nation. He immediately began to organize several military campaigns to reunify the north and south, calling in all of his top generals to lead those campaigns.

Shang knew it was only a matter of time before he was called to head up one of them. When the Imperial messenger showed up just a few weeks after their wedding, he was not surprised. But the messenger had a notice for Mulan too on that hot summer day, ordering that she report to the Emperor with him. They quickly packed and prepared for their journey to Chang'an.

He hadn't known what to expect, especially when Mulan was being summoned as well. But when Wen Di presented the assignment to them he was flabbergasted to learn that it was basically a treasure hunt. But he schooled his face into an expressionless mask.

"A sword, your Majesty?" he repeated. "Is this something that was stolen?"

"No, not stolen. Lost. I know it sounds strange, General Li, but I have my reasons for wanting it found. It belonged to the King of Qin, a great warrior himself and the first man to unify the Middle Kingdom and become Emperor. He wielded the Green Destiny in battle and eventually succeeded in his plans, as you well know."

"The Green Destiny. That's the name of the sword?"

"Yes. It was believed that the sword was touched by the spirits and contained magical powers. I want it found."

"Yes, your Majesty. Is there any information on where we might begin to look for it?"

"No. Start in this province as it was part of the original state of Qin and work your way out. It may be in a cave or in someone's possession that has no idea of its value if we're lucky. Perhaps it's buried far underground. If what they say is true and there are powers that are connected with this weapon, I would not want it to fall into the wrong hands and I am greatly concerned that maybe it already has."

"Understood."

"You two are perfect for this mission. Both of you are brave warriors in battle, you're a great team, and as a married couple in reality you can easily pass yourselves off as civilians if necessary. Besides, this is not an assignment that's appropriate for a large group. It requires subtlety and finesse, and I trust the two of you implicitly. No one must know anything about your assignment."

"Yes, your Majesty," they both answered.

"When you have found the weapon, bring it to me immediately."

Shang knew of Wen Di's mission to unify the north and south, an ambitious one that was comparable to Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mission to unify the seven warring states. He'd read about it in his studies when he was growing up, an important period of their history and part of their preparation for the government exams.

If the Emperor was superstitious, he may have believed that the King of Qin's success came with the aid of this sword and that it would bring him the same success. Of course he wouldn't want it falling into the wrong hands; but Shang was sure the wrong hands were anyone's but his. But his job was to serve and follow the Emperor's instructions, not make judgments about politics.

"Where do we even start?" Mulan began, her eyebrows knit in puzzlement, when they were back in the privacy of their room. "More specifically than just this province."

"With the King of Qin."

"Because he was believed to have owned it?"

"Yes. And because Wen Di wants to unify north and south," he explained softly. "Just as the King of Qin wanted to unify the seven states. It's a superstition. He wants the same sword because he believes it will help him achieve the same goal. Like a charm."

"Interesting," she remarked, thoughtfully. "I did learn how to read and write, but I'm afraid I haven't read much about the King of Qin. I'll have to follow your lead on that one."

He laughed. "You didn't have to prepare for the government exams."

"Well, this ought to be fun. We're being sent on a treasure hunt."

"My thoughts exactly," he chuckled. "But if we fail to find the treasure it could mean our heads."

Mulan pulled the blanket over her head and groaned at his remark. She was already undressed and Shang quickly removed his clothing, tossing it aside and crawling into bed after her.

"Don't worry, my brave beauty," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace and kissing her lips. "We'll come up with a plan and figure out how to find this sword for the Emperor."

**oooOooo**

A/N: There's the rest of the beginning. Please leave a review and let me know what you think so far. Thanks!


	3. The King of Qin

A/N: Next chapter finally up!

**oooOooo **

_The King of Qin _

It was a relief to take shelter and rest in the shade of the large tree after riding for hours in the oppressive heat and humidity of that summer day. Noon had come and the sun had risen to its peak in the sky, blazing down on them as their horses moved along lethargically. Having watered the horses at the stream, they now sat in the shadow, leaning against the trunk and sipping water. Mulan reached into her pack which she'd removed from her steed's back and withdrew rationed out portions of rice and dried meat for them to lunch on.

Their armor was in their packs and they were traveling as a plain married couple. They had discussed it before they departed from the Imperial City, and had concluded that this was the best way to appear. Unfortunately their mission would involve putting together scattered pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, many of which were missing no doubt, in order to create a full picture, and would involve thorough searching. The search was to begin with the King of Qin, and that meant finding out as much as they could about a king who lived over seven hundred years ago.

Xianyang, a city to the north of Chang'an, had been the capital of the State of Qin, and of the unified country under Qin Shi Huang. Shang felt that it was as good a place as any to start. Perhaps they would find remnants of the first Emperor's existence, a tomb with his belongings for instance, which would include his sword.

If only it was that easy, Shang thought with a sigh.

The location of the first Emperor's tomb was kept a secret for a reason. Rumor had it that even the many artisans and builders involved with creating the tomb were put to death and buried inside it in order for it to remain so. Shang was hoping that maybe stories had been passed down word-of-mouth; though it wasn't a completely trustworthy source to rely on, it would at least be a place to start.

He glanced at his wife, who was thumbing through a book that he'd given her, one of the classics that he'd had to memorize in preparation for his exams.

"You had to memorize this whole book?" she remarked looking up from the pages now.

"That and many others."

"Ugh. It's an interesting read, but I don't think I could memorize all of this."

"If you had to you could. I have no doubt of that, Lady General Hua."

She flashed him a playful smile.

"I started learning and memorizing that stuff in school when I was eight."

She shuddered visibly and Shang began to laugh.

"Well," she remarked, flipping through the pages again. "I can see the similarities and why the Emperor is so interested in anything that belonged to Qin Shi Huang."

Her brow creased with worry suddenly.

"But this is quite a task we've been given."

"I know. My guess is that the sword would have been buried with him, but the place of his tomb was kept as a highly guarded secret."

"Well, his capital city is certainly a good place to start."

He nodded. "Mm. I'm hoping that maybe rumors were passed down, just like any other fairytales and stories that are passed down through generations."

"Still, if we're going to talk to people we need to be discreet."

"I was thinking about that. We are sent by the Emperor; I could say that I've been ordered to collect and document a history for him."

"That's an idea. And I'm the historian's honorable wife," she answered wryly.

**oooOooo **

They reached Xianyang after two days of travel, stopping in a hostel at sundown to rest for the night. In the morning Shang went to the prefect's office to speak with him and advise that he was doing research for the Emperor. The prefect was a middle-aged man with greying hair and a solemn demeanor; but he was very pleasant and helpful. After inviting him to have tea with him, they conversed for an hour.

"After I passed my civil service exams I was made a government official. I'm originally from the Henan Province, near Luoyang, but I was assigned to this district."

"I'm from Shanxi," Shang answered after taking a sip of tea.

"I've always had an avid interest in history. I'm very happy to speak to anyone who shares my interest."

"Thank you. This province is part of what was the State of Qin so I figured it was a good place to start."

"Agreed, although I'm not sure that the city is the place to be. You may have better luck out in the smaller villages."

"It was suggested to me that there would not necessarily be written records of anything, but perhaps there are stories that have been passed down."

The prefect nodded. "And not so much in the cities. You see, I'm descended from the Han Chinese; but many of the people in this area claim to be descendants of the Jong, a tribe of the steppe. There are certain traditions and a certain pride of ancestry that has lingered, even after so many centuries and generations. I think you'll encounter that in the smaller towns rather than here. As I'm sure you already realize, at the time the State of Qin was deeply mistrusted because of the ancestry of her citizens as well as their king's aggressiveness."

"Of course," Shang answered smoothly.

Prefect Qiao certainly knew the subject well, Shang realized as they continued to speak about it. An hour later, he took his leave of him.

"Good luck to you, young man."

"Thank you. And thank you for your help. I appreciate it."

He bowed to the elder man and left, returning to the hostel and Mulan.

"Well, you've had a difficult morning," he remarked with a grin, gazing at his wife who was still lounging on the bed under the blanket, one of her small feet peeking out from underneath. He moved forward and went to tickle it but she was quicker than him and immediately snatched it back underneath the covers the second she realized his intention.

"Missed," she teased.

He laughed and moved around to the side of the bed. She smiled and stretched but made no move to sit up.

"So, how did it go?"

"Fine," he answered, taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside her. "Get up and get packed. We're leaving."

"What?"

"It was suggested to me that the city is not the place to be. We're riding out into the smaller villages today. Come on. Up," he ordered playfully, slapping her shoulder lightly.

With a playful grin, she sat up slowly and eased herself out of bed, her moves painstakingly lethargic on purpose. He folded his arms with a smirk.

"Always have to have the last word on things, don't you."

She inched closer to him and put her arms around his neck, pecking his cheek. He tried to resist responding to her embrace, but she giggled at his attempt to remain stoic and he gave in, snaking his arms around her waist.

"You're incorrigible, Mulan."

"Oh, you're just mad because I got to sleep in and you didn't. I offered to go with you, you know…"

"I know," he sighed. "I'm just teasing you."

He planted a deep kiss on her lips then released her and patted her on the shoulder, coaxing her to move.

"Come on. Let's get going. I'll tell you about my discussion with Prefect Qiao when we're riding."

**oooOooo**

They didn't ride very far that afternoon. It was another unbearably hot and humid day and the horses were still somewhat fatigued from the previous day's ride. After passing several farms and smaller communities they arrived in a village and decided that it was best to stop for the evening.

After settling into a hostel there, Mulan sat before the already-made bed and brushed her hair. They had bought meat for dinner in town and she had put it in the pot on the fire to boil. Shang was at the door grooming the horses.

As they were occupied thus a perfect stranger rode up to the door on a horse and dismounted. He was tall and lanky, with a very young face, and he was dressed in a plain tunic and trousers. With a nod at Shang as he passed him by, he just walked in and casually settled himself before the fire as if he wasn't intruding on the abode of perfect strangers. Mulan exchanged glances with her husband, whose expression was a mixture of fury and disbelief.

"May I help you?" he demanded curtly.

"What's in the pot?" the stranger asked, completely ignoring the question.

The stranger's rudeness and boldness was almost laughable.

Shang stalked over to the man, looking like he was going to lift him off the ground by his collar and literally throw him out the door. Mulan wordlessly gestured for him to remain calm. She didn't want her husband to get into trouble for killing a man just like that, and at the very least she was intrigued by this bold rascal.

"Lamb," she told him.

"Great. I'm famished," the strange man answered.

Mulan stifled a laugh.

"Who are you?" Shang demanded.

"My name is Zhang. I understand that you spoke to Prefect Qiao about the King of Qin. We may share an interest and perhaps we can help each other."

"Li is my name. I've merely been instructed to write a history by the Emperor," he answered cagily. "What is it you are trying to do exactly?"

"Locate his tomb."

"His tomb?" he repeated, his suspicion piqued. There was a good chance that this man was in search of the very sword they were after.

"Yes. Much can be learned from a tomb and what is found inside of it. Any king, any Emperor; those possessions in life that were most prized by them are no doubt buried with them when they die."

Taking a seat beside him, Shang continued to eye him suspiciously. "Are you a historian as well?"

"I'm a student. With an avid interest in this particular period of time and this king."

"And with very little money, no doubt," he remarked cynically. Just what they needed, he thought. A poor student looking for free meals.

"I've come uninvited," the stranger said, stating the obvious. "Do you have any wine? If not, I will be happy to share mine with you in exchange for dinner."

"As it turns out, we don't have any," he answered.

The student stood up and went out to fetch the wine.

"No money for food, but he has wine," Shang muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

Mulan reached over and stroked his back. "Be calm. He's pretty skinny. Between the two of us I'm sure we can take him if he turns out to be something other than what he says he is."

"Hmm. I have no doubt that he will."

Zhang returned with the bottle of rice wine. When the meat was cooked, Shang withdrew it from the pot and began to cut it with his pocket knife, dividing it in three portions. Mulan brought out flat bread for everyone and they dined together, raising their cups of wine in toast before sipping from them. As they drank more wine they relaxed somewhat and conversation became a little bit easier.

"There's a scroll that may be buried with the king," Zhang began. "I'm looking for it."

"What kind of a scroll?" Shang asked. Though he had relaxed somewhat his mistrust of this man remained quite obvious.

"That's what I want to find out. No one has ever seen it, but there are stories about it and of a secret society of martial arts masters who used it."

Mulan was eyeing Zhang curiously and Shang glanced at her, realizing in an instant what his wife was thinking. This man didn't look like someone who practiced any form of martial art.

"It may just be a tall tale," she remarked.

"True. But I think it's worth looking into. I'm from this province and a descendant of the people of Qin."

"Really?" Shang retorted dubiously, folding his arms. "That's a happy coincidence."

Zhang ignored his sarcasm. "I know my way around very well. I could act as a guide for you. I ask for no money; I will work in exchange for meals. Finding the location would be beneficial to both of us."

"It's an interesting offer," Shang answered, appearing to mull it over. "Where are you staying in town?"

"I'm camping. But if you're interested in accepting my offer, I will be waiting on the bridge outside of town, to the south. Meet me there in the morning."

"I was hoping to interview some of the people in town before moving on to the next place."

Zhang frowned for a moment and scratched his chin. "Well, it may be worth doing that. Either way, meet me at the bridge in the morning and let me know if you have accepted my offer. If you haven't arrived by noon I will continue on my way."

After dinner was finished Shang stood by the door, watching the stranger disappear into the night.

"Well, _that_ was interesting to say the least," Mulan remarked as Shang shut the door and returned to sit with her by the fire.

"Martial arts scroll my eye," he remarked, rolling his eyes. "Qin had great wealth, just as any king would have, and that wealth only grew after he became Emperor. I'm sure that his treasures were buried in the tomb with him. I expect that this man will turn out to be nothing more than a common thief and a grave robber."

"What do you want to do? He seems to know things. There may be information that we could learn from him."

"Yes. It certainly may be worth it to travel with him for a little while. But we have to be careful and keep a close watch on him at every moment."

She nodded. "Why would the king have a scroll that belonged to a secret society of martial arts masters buried with him, anyway? If it was something he didn't want anyone to read, he would have had it burned I would think."

"Mm," Shang responded, taking her hand and gazing at his wife with admiration and affection. He would never stop marveling at her astuteness and sharp mind. "After he became Emperor he did supposedly burn many scrolls that were written by scholars of the time. And he put those scholars to death as well. It was part of his effort to unify the written language, the legal codes, and every other aspect of the running of the country."

They sat in silence for a few moments, holding hands and gazing into the fire, each following their own train of thought.

"Do you want me to go with you in the morning when you go to meet him at the bridge?"

"Sure," he answered with a laugh. "Unless you're intent on sleeping in again."

"Well, you know that's always my preference."

"Sorry, but actually I think you should get up early and come with me. If we're going to make a pact with the devil we will need to watch each other's backs while we're in his company."

**oooOooo **

A/N: More to follow shortly. Note that the stuff in this chapter regarding Qin Shi Huang and the people of Qin being descended from the Jong is based on historical fact. There will be other things woven throughout this fic that are based on historical fact and I will provide notes as they come up for those who are interested.


End file.
